30 is the new 70, and green is the new black.

At least if you’re the Zuckerbergs.

All media eyes are on the tech power couple, who just announced they will be giving away 99% of their Facebook shares over the course of their lives.

Although the couple is not the first to engage in this type of charitable activity, they are one of the youngest.

In a filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Facebook said that Mr. Zuckerberg, along with his wife, Priscilla Chan, “plans to sell or gift no more than $1bn of Facebook stock each year for the next three years and that he intends to retain his majority voting position… for the foreseeable future.”

The Zuckerbergs’ holdings, worth more than $45 billion, will be donated to various charities with the overall purpose of improving the world for their week-old daughter, Maxima.

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a foundation to manage the money through a limited liability corporate structure, will focus funds towards education, disease, and community building.

The choice to utilize a limited liability company will give the Zuckerbergs some autonomy with how their money is handled. They will be able to invest in various companies, influence public policy, and actively lobby for legislation.

(I think most development analysts would agree with me when I say their technique is a more sustainable strategy than simply donating money to existing charities.)

Although the Zuckerberg Chan Initiative is unprecedented in regards to the dollar amount involved, it does fall in line with a growing trend throughout Silicon Valley (and elsewhere).

“Our society has an obligation to invest now to improve the lives of all those coming into this world, not just those already here,” Zuckerberg and Chan wrote. “But right now, we don’t always collectively direct our resources at the biggest opportunities and problems your generation will face.”

In stark contrast to previous generations of wealth, we’re now seeing the development of conscious capitalism — specifically, incredibly wealthy individuals who have an equally incredible sense of philanthropy.

These philanthropic efforts are starting at younger ages, as well. We’re seeing more and more billionaires eager to donate funds in their early thirties and forties rather than wait until their will kicks in.

And honestly, why not?

The world’s problems are happening now, so solutions to those problems should also begin now.

The Giving Pledge, established in 2010 by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, is a campaign (dare I say, challenge?) urging billionaires to give a significant portion of their wealth to worthy charities.

Mr. Gates has pledged to give away at least 95% of his $85.2 billion.

As of today, 138 billionaires from 15 different countries have signed the pledge.

Along with Gates, Buffett, and Zuckerberg, the campaign has received pledges from Tesla’s (NASDAQ: TSLA) Elon Musk, Chobani’s Hamdi Ulukaya, and my personal God on Earth, Star Wars director George Lucas.

Even Carl Icahn, in his pledge letter, admits that “with wealth comes responsibility — those who have benefitted the most from our economic system have a responsibility to give back to society in a meaningful way.”

Greed, On Its Own, Is Not Good

There is a universal agreement among experts in the field of development, politics, human rights, economics… you name it: There has never been a period in modern history in which so many people have been persecuted, abused, displaced, or impoverished.

Leaders in the tech world in particular have come together, innovating dynamic ways to use their riches to make the rest of the world less poor. These innovators are proving that it is possible to become rich without stepping on everyone around them.

This isn’t isolated to financial donations — Silicon Valley technology itself is often catered towards improving the quality of life for individuals and households across the planet. And I’m not just talking about being able to wear your smartphone on your wrist.

I’m talking about Tesla harnessing the power of the Sun, or Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) providing free Internet to the entire world.

If it’s your first time visiting Pro Trader, I should fill you in on the fact that we have great respect and adoration for groundbreaking innovation. (Okay, fine… we’re obsessed with it.)

It’s even more drool-worthy when innovation can also be successful at bettering society. This seems to be the opus developing throughout the technology world, and the Zuckerbergs’ actions have only served to reinforce this.

We (and generations to come) should all be thanking them… and maybe start following in their footsteps.

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